Category Archives: Current

You can take the executive out of the casino …

Posted on August 30, 2011 by David McKee

… but you can’t take the casino out of the executive. Case in point, Smith Center for the Performing Arts Chairman Donald Snyder, former prexy of Boyd Gaming. One of the odder components of the $425 million multipurpose venue, known … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Cosmopolitan, Current, Downtown, Entertainment, Harrah's, Marketing, Station Casinos, The Strip | Comments Off on You can take the executive out of the casino …

Caruso sings, Lerner hallucinates

Posted on August 29, 2011 by David McKee

Since I had one foot out the door en route to Albany when Caesars Entertainment held its Rick Caruso-led media blitz on Project Linq, I’m a bit late to the party. Some of my early reactions can be heard on … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, CityCenter, Colony Capital, Current, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Sahara, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Down Memory Lainie, er, Lane

Posted on August 29, 2011 by David McKee

On Oct. 26, the erstwhile “Gossy Room” at The Palms will host a fundraiser for AFAN. Headlining the event will be Lainie Kazan, who — the press release informs us — is “widely known for her starring role in My … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Charity, Current, Entertainment, George Maloof, history, Marketing, Riviera, Silverton, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, TV, WMS Industries | 2 Comments

Atlantic City: The morning after

Posted on August 28, 2011 by David McKee

Damage from Hurricane Irene wasn’t as bad as feared in Atlantic City, although it ripped up beach facilities pretty good. Casinos were even able to maintain power through the wee hours of Sunday morning. Borgata‘s Water Club tower sustained some … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Current, Economy, Environment, Tilman Fertitta, Transportation | Comments Off on Atlantic City: The morning after

The lost weekend; Machine Gun Bloom

Posted on August 26, 2011 by David McKee

When casino revenues weren’t as bad as expected, earlier this summer, one Atlantic City property executive called it a light at the end of the tunnel. Elsewhere, S&G reader American Gaming Guru pithily remarked that the light was an oncoming … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Current, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Downtown, Entertainment, Environment, G2E, Genting, Harrah's, history, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Neil Bluhm, New York, Oscar Goodman, Slot routes, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism | 6 Comments

Musical chairs; Perry’s hypocrisy

Posted on August 26, 2011 by David McKee

Those who go around, come around. The newly unveiled management team for the Margaritaville Casino in Biloxi has a distinct aura of déja vu. CEO Tom Brosig used to be Lyle Berman‘s right-hand man at Grand Casinos, whose Biloxi casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Current, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, International, Louisiana, Lyle Berman, Mississippi, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Oklahoma, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Station Casinos, Technology, Texas, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism | 4 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 26, 2011 by David McKee

“Might be worth seeing, even if Anthony Cools is involved.” — early reaction to Swingers, the new dueling pianos/miniature golf nightclub at the Plaza, which opens both Swingers and Waiting for Godot on Sept. 1.

Posted in Current, Downtown, Entertainment, Tamares Group | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

“Is gaming recession-proof?” Seriously.

Posted on August 25, 2011 by David McKee

Before you snicker at CNBC, it’s asking the question in the context of Asia (read: China), where recessionary issues are not (yet?) the concern that they are in the United States. The across-the-Pacific reach of Genting Bhd, an emerging power … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Genting, International, Macau, Singapore | Comments Off on “Is gaming recession-proof?” Seriously.

Thaw in Massachusetts? Hilton has left the building

Posted on August 25, 2011 by David McKee

After screwing the pooch in the previous legislature, it looks as though Gov. Deval Patrick (D-MA) and state lawmakers are finally on the same page regarding casino expansion in the Bay State. Analyst Joseph Greff rates the solons’ chances of … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally Technologies, Colony Capital, Current, Economy, Genting, Horseracing, IGT, Isle of Capri, Kansas, Marketing, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Singapore, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Warner Gaming, WMS Industries | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 23, 2011 by David McKee

“Some of the newspaper’s operations hadn’t been re-evaluated in decades, [Publisher Bob] Brown said.” — a reference to the stagnant 18 years the Las Vegas Review-Journal spent under Brown’s recently expelled predecessor, Sherman Frederick. The latter’s years of inattentiveness are … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, history | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Taking back (Harrah’s) America

Posted on August 16, 2011 by David McKee

Ever-vigilant in his watch over “The Borg” (aka Caesars Entertainment), Vegas Tripping author Chuck Monster has been keeping a gimlet eye on the revival of Project Linq. Granted access to internal Caesars documents, Mr. Monster reveals that the much-needed makeover … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, CityCenter, Current, Economy, Harrah's, International, Sports, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Wall Street | 8 Comments

Anyone remember the Gold Standard?

Posted on August 16, 2011 by David McKee

In 50 years, I’ve managed to outlive a number of institutions, ranging from the Berlin Wall to the Gold Standard. Some news outlets are commemorating the occasion, including The Alyona Show, which seems to be the libertarian equivalent to Countdown … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Election, International, Politics, TV | Comments Off on Anyone remember the Gold Standard?

Case Bets: Station, Isle, Cosmo, Loveman & the horsey set

Posted on August 16, 2011 by David McKee

Revenue growth accelerated at Station Casinos in 2Q11, with cash flow up 8.5% (compared to +4% for the year so far). Keeping room rates steady at an average of $71 appears to have boosted occupancy, up from 81% to an … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Marketing, Missouri, Penn National, Pokergeddon, Politics, Racinos, The Strip | 1 Comment

I killed Elvis

Posted on August 16, 2011 by David McKee

From guest blogger Jeff_in_OKC: Today In Las Vegas History: 1977 Upon learning that today would be David McKee’s 16th birthday, and that he would be old enough to get a driver’s license, Elvis Presley had a constipationate seizure and fell off … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, history | 4 Comments

Ka-BOOM!

Posted on August 15, 2011 by David McKee

This just in: The race to become the first Strip hotel to be demolished without ever having opened has been won by … The Harmon. Details are sketchy but MGM Resorts International‘s decision will surprise few. Allegedly culpable Perini Building … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Current, MGM Mirage, The Strip | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 15, 2011 by David McKee

“As a journalist writing about casinos [and] gaming at David McKee’s Stiffs [&] Georges, I’m sure you get a lot of questions from readers about how they can improve their poker games.” — uhhhh, no … I don’t, actually. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, Internet gambling, TV | 1 Comment

The trailer was great but the movie tanked

Posted on August 14, 2011 by David McKee

All that’s missing is Megan Fox in a tank top. “OK, politics isn’t being devised for our entertainment — although given the dismal situation, finding the humor often seems the only way to get through the week.” — Paul Krugman, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Election, Iowa, Marketing | 1 Comment

Colony craps out again

Posted on August 10, 2011 by David McKee

Gaming’s Mr. Magoo, the disaster-prone CEO of Colony Capital, Tom Barrack has done it again. The Las Vegas Hilton has defaulted on one of its loans (again), a too-familiar revelation where a Colony-owned property is concerned. Although it lost $1 … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony Capital, Cretins, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Goldman Sachs, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Elvis & Eva have left the building

Posted on August 10, 2011 by David McKee

Two axes fell upon CityCenter in one day. It’s tough to decide which is more newsworthy. I’ll go with the Beso story because it has a not-so-hidden upside. Golden Nugget CEO Tilman Fertitta is feeling sufficiently bullish to plant his … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Columbia Sussex, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, International, Marketing, Massachusetts, Texas, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism | 1 Comment

Tourists behaving badly

Posted on August 10, 2011 by David McKee

While Navy SEALs are dying heroically in Afghanistan and putting Osama bin Laden on ice, one of their former colleagues has been trying to beat the rap for a rampage of random violence he conducted on the Las Vegas Strip. … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Cretins, Current, Environment, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, The Strip | Comments Off on Tourists behaving badly